Yarone Zober, Ashlee Olivo among witnesses at federal courthouse

Behind closed doors inside the federal courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh, a top official of Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration, Chief of Staff Yarone Zober, testified for more than an hour before a federal grand jury.

"This could not have happened without (ex-police chief) Nate Harper," says the lawyer for a Robinson man who conspired to get a city contract. The case triggered a federal investigation into Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration.

Zober is the highest-ranking official of Ravenstahl's administration to be summoned to testify before this federal investigative panel.

As Ravenstahl's chief of staff, Zober is the mayor's right-hand-man. He also served as deputy mayor in the late Mayor Bob O'Connor's administration, and was a virtual acting mayor during O'Connor's illness.

Also appearing before the grand jury today was 26-year-old Ashlee Olivo, an advertising salesperson for a local TV station who is a friend of Ravenstahl.

"She was subpoenaed as a fact witness only before the grand jury. She is not a subject of any investigation, not accused of any wrongdoing whatsoever. At this time she's cooperating fully with the authorities," said her attorney David Cercone.

"Is she someone who's done business with the City of Pittsburgh?" asked Channel 4 Action News reporter Bob Mayo. "I can't comment on that," responded Cercone. When he was asked about Olivo's friendship with Ravenstahl, Cercone answered, "I'm sorry, I don't have any information in regard to that."Whirl Magazine identified Olivo as one of "Pittsburgh's 50 Finest" for 2013. It's a group of young professionals who are active in their communities and who raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.A second unidentified woman was called into the grand jury room Tuesday morning after Olivo left.

Zober and Olivo join others close to Ravenstahl who have testified to this ongoing grand jury, including the mayor's bodyguards and his personal secretary.

Today came word that former Police Chief Nate Harper, who Ravenstahl asked to resign earlier this year, will plead guilty Oct. 18 to charges that he failed to pay federal income taxes. Harper's lawyer, Robert DelGreco, said Harper hasn't testified to this grand jury.

"I don't know factually what the United States Attorney's office is doing, whether or not the mayor is a target, whether or not he's being investigated for crimes," DelGreco said.

"The administration will continue to cooperate, as it has done throughout this process" said Marissa Doyle, a spokeswoman for Mayor Ravenstahl, when asked for comment on Zober's appearance before the grand jury.

3 HE WAS MAYOR LUKE RAVENSTAHL'S RIGHT-HAND MAN. AND TODAY-- HE HEADED TO COURT.. TO TALK ABOUT HIS BOSS. THIS COMES-- AS ALLEGATIONS SWIRL-- IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. Channel 4 Action News reporter Bob Mayo-- with ANOTHER bombshell tonight-- involving Pittsburgh's former police chief! 3 3 3 IT'S THE HIGHEST RANKING OFFICIAL OF MAYOR LUKE RAVENSTAHL'S ADMINISTRATION TO BE SUMMONED TO TESTIFY BEFORE THIS FEDERAL INVESTIGATIVE GRAND JURY.YARONE ZOBER IS MAYOR RAVENSTAHL'S CHIEF OF STAFF -- HIS RIGHT HAND MAN WHO ALSO SERVED AS DEPUTY MAYOR IN THE LATE BOB O'CONNOR'S ADMINISTRATION, A VIRTUAL ACTING MAYOR DURING MAYOR O'CONNOR'S ILLNESS.ALSO APPEARING BEFORE THE GRAND JURY TODAY -- 26-YEAR OLD ASHLEY OLIVO -- AN AD SALES PERSON FOR A LOCAL TV STATION -- AND A FRIEND OF MAYOR RAVENSTAHL. 3 WE ASKED HER ATTORNEY DAVID CERCONE : 3 ZOBER AND OLIVO JOIN OTHERS CLOSE TO MAYOR RAVENSTAHL WHO HAVE TESTIFIED TO THIS ONGOING GRAND JURY, INCLUDING THE MAYOR'S BODYGUARDS AND PERSONAL SECRETARY.TODAY CAME WORD THAT, RAVENSTAHL'S FORMER POLICE CHIEF NATE HARPER WILL PLEAD GUILTY ON OCTOBER 18th ON CHARGES HE FAILED TO PAY FEDERAL INCOME TAXES. HARPER'S ATTORNEY ROBERT DELGRECO SAYS RAVENSTAHL'S EX-POLICE CHIEF HASN'T TESTIFIED TO THIS GRAND JURY. 3 3

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